These names were used by ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, such as the Akkadians, Babylonians, Canaanites and Phoenicians.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
AbbamAncient Aramaic, Hebrew, Jewish Derived from Aramaic אבא (’abā’) meaning "father", which is ultimately derived from Proto-Semitic ʾab meaning "father".
AbdesmAncient Aramaic (Latinized) The name is formed with the word Abd "servant (of)" and Es which is less clear. It may refer to Yah, the Judeo-Christian God, making the name a variant of Abdias, or to the Egyptian goddess Isis.... [more]
Abdi-milkutti𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤕mPhoenician Possibly deriving in part from the Phoenician element 𐤌𐤋𐤊 milk ("king"). Name borne by a King of Sidon who rebelled against Assyrian rule.
AbgarmAncient Aramaic Abgar was the name of several kings of Edessa (today: Şanlıurfa, Turkey).... [more]
AbimilkimPhoenician Means "my father is king", deriving in part from the Phoenician element 𐤌𐤋𐤊 milk ("king"). Name borne by a prince of Tyre known from his correspondance with Akenhaten, recorded in the Amarna letters.
AbnātufBabylonian Means "precious stone", deriving from the Akkadian word aban nisiqtu ("a choice stone, a precious stone, a gem").
Adad-guppifBabylonian Means "Adad has saved", possibly deriving from the Old Akkadian element gamalum ("to save"). Name borne by a prominent priestess of the moon god Sin.
AgušayafAkkadian, Near Eastern Mythology Means "the whirling dancer", deriving from the Akkadian words gâšum ("to dance") and gūštum ("dance"). Attested as an epithet for Ishtar in the Hymn of Agushaya.
AhāssunufBabylonian Means "their sister", deriving from the Akkadian element aḫātu ("sister") combined with the suffix -(aš)šunu ("for them (masculine plural), to them, towards them"),
AhaziahאֲחַזְיָהוּmAncient Hebrew Meaning "holds fast" or "held by God" depending on translation.
Amat-nanāyafBabylonian Means "servant of Nanaya", deriving from the Akkadian element amtu ("woman servant").
Amat-nanāya-qerbetfBabylonian Means "the servant of Nanaya is at hand" deriving from the Akkadian elements amtu ("woman servant") and qereb ("close ,near ,at hand ,within reach").
Amat-ninlilfBabylonian Means "servant of Ninlil", deriving from the Akkadian element amtu ("woman servant").
AmiltufBabylonian Means "servant woman", deriving from the Akkadian element amtu ("woman servant").
AmmanmAncient Hebrew The given name of the second son of Lot, (The Veil), by his younger daughter meaning "Son of my Race" or "Son of my People. The father of the Ammanites, (AKA Ammonites). ... [more]
Annunitum𒀭𒉡𒉌𒌈fNear Eastern Mythology, Akkadian Means "the skirmisher" or "the martial one". This was an epithet of Ishtar in her capacity as a war goddess. Later in the Sargonic period, Annunitum became a distinct deity in her own right.
Asītu-tabnifAncient Assyrian, Babylonian Means "you created the tower", deriving from the Akkadian elements atti ("thou, you") and banû ("to create, to build").
AviramAncient Aramaic (Rare, ?) This name is listed in Kolatch's Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew Names (1984), where it is given an Aramaic origin, meaning "air, atmosphere, spirit." It was the name of a Babylonian Talmudic scholar.
BabathafAncient Aramaic Babatha is the name of a Jewish woman who owned land near Petra (modern Jordan) and En-Gedi (modern Israel) in the 2nd century AD. Because her personal documents were preserved, much of her personal life is known today.
Banât-esagilfBabylonian Means "Esagil is beautiful", deriving from the Akkadian element banûtu ("beauty").
BanitufAncient Assyrian Of unknown etymology. Possibly derived from either Akkadian banītu meaning "beautiful", or bānītu (also Akkadian), meaning "divine Creatress". Banitu was a queen of the Neo Assyrian empire circa 729 BCE.
Bēl-bullissumBabylonian Means "Bel, keep him alive", deriving from the Akkadian element balāṭu ("to revive ; to keep alive, healthy").
BēletafBabylonian Means "lady", deriving from the Akkadian element bēltu ("lady, mistress").
Bēlet-bābilifBabylonian, Akkadian, Near Eastern Mythology Means "lady of Babylon", deriving from the Akkadian element belet (mistress, lady). This was a Babylonian name for the goddess Ishtar. Ishtar was worshipped under this name in the temple of Eturkalamma.
Bēlet-balāṭifNear Eastern Mythology, Akkadian Means "mistress of life", deriving from the Akkadian elements bēlet ("mistress or lady") and balāṭu ("life, vigour, good health"). This was possibly an Akkadian name for the goddess Nungal.
Belet-eannafNear Eastern Mythology, Akkadian An Akkadian name for the goddess Inanna, specifically in her capacity as Inanna of Uruk. Likely derives in part from the Akkadian belet ("mistress or lady").
Belet-nagarfAkkadian, Near Eastern Mythology Means "Mistress of Nagar" (an ancient city in Syria), from the Akkadian element belet (meaning "mistress or lady"). Belet-Nagar was a tutelary goddess associated with kingship. She was possibly an Akkadian equivalent to the Hittite goddess Nabarbi.
Belet-ninuafAkkadian, Near Eastern Mythology Means "Lady of Nineveh", deriving from Akkadian elements belet ("lady") and ninua (likely an Akkadian form of Nineveh).
Belet-uruk-atkalfBabylonian Means "I trusted in the Lady of Uruk", deriving from the Akkadian element belet ("mistress, lady").
Bēl-ṣarbimNear Eastern Mythology, Akkadian Means "lord of the poplar", deriving from the Akkadian elements bēlu ("boss, chief, master, lord") and ṣarbat (deriving from a place name, that presumably later became associated with groves of trees... [more]
BissāyafBabylonian Of as yet unknown etymology, this name is attested several times in various Babylonian legal records from the Late Assyrian period.
BruriaבְּרוּרְיָהfHebrew, Ancient Aramaic (?) Allegedly means "pure" in Aramaic. This was the name of a 2nd-century female scholar; she was the wife of Rabbi Meir, one of Rabbi Akiva's disciples. It was also borne by Israeli theoretical physicist Bruria Kaufman (1918-2010).
ChuldufAncient Aramaic Meaning uncertain. Name borne by a Nabatean queen who ruled alongside her husband Aretas IV.
CucuphasmPhoenician Phoenician origin with the meaning of "he who jokes" or "he who likes to joke". Saint Cucuphas is a is a martyr of Spain who lived from roughly 269 A.D. to 304 A.D. ... [more]
Dalilu-essumBabylonian Means "new praise", deriving from the Akkadian elements dalīlu ("praise, thanks") and eššu ("new, modern").
DamqāyafBabylonian Means "good", deriving from the Akkadian element damqu ("good, pretty, nice").
Dumqišu-āmurfBabylonian Means "I saw his goodness", from the Akkadian elements damqu ("good, pretty, nice"), iššû ("his, hers"), and amāru ("to see (someone, something)").
Ea-nasirmAkkadian Meaning unknown. This was the name of an ancient Akkadian merchant whose customer, a man named Nanni, wrote to him the oldest known written complaint.
EashoamAncient Aramaic Ancient Aramaic form of Latin/Greek " Jesus ", Hebrew " Yeshua " & Arabic " Isa ". Presently thought as Jesus's given name in his perceived native language.
Enlil-nadin-aplimBabylonian Means "Enlil (is) giver of an heir". Name borne by the fifth king of the 2nd dynasty of Isin, who ruled from c. 1099–1096 BC.
ErramNear Eastern Mythology, Babylonian, Akkadian The Babylonian god of war, death, and other disasters. He may be identified with Nergal, the god of death. Erra expressed death himself symbolically by his continuous lethargy as he lay in a drunken stupor... [more]
Esharra-hammatfAncient Assyrian From from Akkadian elements ešarra (the name of a temple), and ḫammat meaning "mistress". Possibly means, "In Ešarra, she is mistress". Name of a queen of the Neo-Assyrian empire (c... [more]
Eshmunazar𐤀𐤔𐤌𐤍𐤏𐤆𐤓mPhoenician Meaning "Eshmun helps" (Eshmun was a Phoenician god of healing and the tutelary god of Sidon). Name borne by two kings of Sidon.
Gabbi-ina-qātēfBabylonian Means "In the hands (of the gods) is totality", deriving from the Akkadian element kalû ("totality, all").
Gerarm & fAncient Hebrew Also Gerara, (LXX). Name of the land in which Abimelech dwelt. Genesis 20:2.
HarimחָרִםmAncient Hebrew Meaning "with pierced nose." May also mean "destroyed" or "dedicated to God" depending on your source.
HilkiahmAncient Hebrew Hilkiah means “portion of Yah” or “the LORD is my portion.” Hilkiah was a Levite and high priest during the reign of King Josiah. He found the long-lost Book of the Law (see II Chronicles 34).
HuzālumBabylonian Means "gazelle", deriving from the Akkadian ḫuzālu ("gazelle kid").
IabafAncient Aramaic Possibly derives from one of the following West Semitic elements: yph ("beautiful"), nby ("to name") or yhb ("to give"). Name borne by an Assyrian queen, who was possibly of Aramean origin.
Ina-eturkalamma-alsišufBabylonian Means "In Eturkalamma, I called out to him", deriving from the Akkadian element šasû ("to shout, to call for"). Eturkalamma was a temple to Ishtar in Babylon, where she was worshipped as Bēlet-bābili.
Ina-ṣilli-esabadfBabylonian Means "In the protection of Esabad" (the temple of the medicine goddess Gula), from the Akkadian ina ṣilli ("under the aegis of, in shadow, in the shade").
InbāyafBabylonian Means "fruit", deriving from the Akkadian inbu ("fruit").
Itti-marduk-balatumBabylonian Means "With Marduk there is life". Name borne by a king of the 2nd dynasty of Isin, who ruled c. 1135–1128 BC.
KurunnītufAkkadian, Near Eastern Mythology Likely means "high quality beer", deriving from the Akkadian kurunnum (itself a derivation of the Sumerian kurun). Name borne by an Akkadian goddess, likely equivalent to the Sumerian goddess of beer Ninkasi.
Kurunnitu-tabnifAkkadian, Ancient Assyrian Possibly means "Kurunnitu is our comrade", derived from the name of the goddess Kurunnītu, and the Akkadian elements tappa-um ("comrade") and ni ("our").
LabbatufNear Eastern Mythology, Akkadian Means "lioness", deriving from the Akkadian lābatu ("lioness"). This is attested as an alternate name for Ishtar in an Eblaite god list.
Lamashtu𒀭𒈕𒈨fNear Eastern Mythology, Akkadian Possibly means "she who erases", deriving from the Akkadian element pašāṭu ("to erase"). Name borne by a female demon thought to menace women during childbirth. Since her name was written with the symbol 𒀭 (dingir, used to signify the name of a deity), and she is described as acting malevolently of her own accord (rather than at the direction of the gods), it is hypothesised that she was a goddess or demigoddess in her own right.
Libbali-sharratfAncient Assyrian Possibly derived from the Akkadian elements libbāli meaning "inner city" (possibly an epithet of the goddess Ishtar) and šarratum, meaning "queen".
LurindufBabylonian Means "pomegranate", from the Akkadian lurintu ("a pomegranate").
Marduk-kabit-ahheshumBabylonian Means "Marduk is the most important among his brothers". Name borne by the founder of the 2nd dynasty of Isin, who ruled c. 1153–1136 BC.
Marduk-shapik-zerimBabylonian Means "Marduk (is) outpourer of seed", deriving from the god Marduk, and the Akkadian elements šapāku ("to pour on / to lavish") and zēru ("seed ; offspring ; sown, arable land").
MullissufNear Eastern Mythology, Ancient Assyrian Meaning uncertain. Name borne by an obscure goddess who was a consort of the god Ashur. May derive from "Mullitum", which was an epithet for the Sumerian goddess Ninlil.
Mullissu-mukannishat-NinuafAncient Assyrian Etymology uncertain. A possible meaning is "Mullissu is the victor in Nineveh" (Ninua being the Akkadian form of Nineveh), deriving from the Akkadian element mukannišum ("subjugator /subduer / conqueror / victor").
Mutakkil-nuskumAncient Assyrian Means "He whom Nusku endows with confidence". Name borne by a king of Assyria who ruled for a brief period c. 1132 BCE.
NadāyafBabylonian Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from the Akkadian element nadānu ("gift, tribute, payment").
Nahashנָחָשׁm & fJewish, Ancient Hebrew Means "snake" in Hebrew, from the vocabulary noun נָחָשׁ (nachash or nāḥāš).... [more]
Nanāya-kānatfBabylonian Possibly means "Nanaya has gathered", deriving from the Akkadian element kanāšu ("to gather in (harvest, people)").
Nanaya-kesiratfBabylonian, Akkadian Means "Nanaya is the one who compensates", deriving from the goddess Nanaya, and the Akkadian element kašāru ("to compensate, to give its due").
Nanāya-rīšatfBabylonian Possibly means "Nanaya's joy", deriving from the Akkadian element rīšātu ("joy, happiness").
Nehoraiנהוראיm & fHebrew, Ancient Hebrew From the Aramaic root nehora, meaning "light". Rabbi Nehorai was the name of one of the Tannaim.
Ninurta-nadin-shumimBabylonian Means "Ninurta is giver of progeny". Name borne by a Babylonian king of the 2nd dynasty of Isin, who ruled c. 1127–1122 BC.
NohramAncient Aramaic Means "light" in Aramaic. This was the name of a Maronite saint.
NuptafBabylonian Meaning uncertain, possibly deriving from the Akkadian element nuāru ("singer , musician , poet"). Name borne by the wife of Itti-marduk-balatu.
PhasaelisfAncient Aramaic Of uncertain etymology. Name borne by a Nabatean princess, who was the first wife of Herod Antipas.
PusaimAncient Aramaic The name of a Christian priest and companion in martyrdom with Simeon Barsabae and others (†344).
QardaghmAncient Aramaic Meaning and origin unknown. He is a 4th saint venerated in Chaldean Catholic Church, Assyrian Church of the East, Syro-Malabar Church. Mar Qardagh (Mar means "lord" and it's like "holy"a honorific title) was a Sassanid prince who was martyred for converting to Christianity... [more]
Qibī-dumqī-ilatfAkkadian, Babylonian Meaning uncertain, however the name possibly derives from the Akkadian elements qibītu "speech ; order, command ; request, prayer" and "dumqu ("goodness , good thing").
Rimush𒌷𒈬𒍑mAkkadian Meaning unknown. A noted bearer is Rimush, an Akkadian king (c.2280 BCE), the second king of the Akkadian empire, son of King Sargon of Akkad and Queen Tashlultum, brother of Manishtushu, and uncle of Naram-Sin.
RīšatufBabylonian Means "joy", deriving from the Akkadian element rīšātu ("joy, happiness").
SalambofPhoenician, Ancient Roman, Babylonian, Literature Name of the title character of Gustave Flaubert’s novel “Salammbô” (1862). The name has Phoenician origin from ṣlmbʿl meaning “the image of Baal”. It is also name of Babylonian goddess, associated with Venus in Ancient Roman times.
SalampsiofAncient Hebrew (Hellenized) Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Shalom-zion "peace of Zion". The name "Shalom Zion" was used by the Judean royal family in the Roman period and is variously modified in rabbinical literature... [more]
Samas-zeru-ibnimBabylonian Means "Shamash created the offspring", deriving from the Akkadian element zēru ("seed; offspring; sown, arable land").
SamyazamAncient Aramaic, Jewish Legend This is the name of a fallen angel in the Book of Enoch, who is portrayed as the leader of a band of angels called the Watchers that lust after mortal women and become fallen angels.
SarratufAkkadian, Ancient Assyrian Means "princess" and is related to the name Sarah. (The description of the entry Sarah should include this information about "Sarratu" I think as it is stronger evidence that Sarah means princess for those say it doesn't mean princess and means more of a position of power in general)
Serua-eteratfAncient Assyrian From Akkadian elements Šērū’a and ēṭirat, meaning "Šerua (a minor deity, possibly a consort of the god Ashur) is the one who saves". Name borne by a princess of the Sargonid dynasty, known from her letter (circa 670 BCE) to her sister-in-law Libbali-sharrat.
Shamhat𒊩𒌑𒉺fLiterature, Babylonian Means "the luscious one". Name borne by a prominent character in the Epic of Gilgamesh, responsible for bringing the wild man Enkidu to the city of Uruk.
Shulgi-simtifAncient Near Eastern, Akkadian Possibly means "Shulgi is my glory". Name borne by a wife of Shulgi, who is known from texts concerning her possessions, and the people who worked for her in her household. Her name is possibly of Akkadian origin, and hints at an Akkadian origin for Shulgi-simti herself (as she likely assumed this name on her marriage to Shulgi).
Sin-zeru-iddinmBabylonian Means "Sin granted offspring", deriving from the Akkadian element zēru ("seed; offspring; sown, arable land").
SobefAncient Hebrew The name of Sobe first appears in writings of about the 7th century by Hippolytus of Thebes.... [more]
ŠuqurtumfAncient Near Eastern, Akkadian Of uncertain etymology, however the name is possibly of Akkadian origin, as it ends in the Akkadian feminine suffix tum. One possible name element is the Akkadian šūquru ("very precious, valuable")... [more]
SymachofAncient Aramaic Of uncertain etymology. Symacho was a Characene princess (fl. 1st century CE) who converted to Judaism.
TabluṭfBabylonian Means "she lives", possibly deriving from the Akkadian element bašû ("to be, exist").
Tabnit𐤕𐤁𐤍𐤕mPhoenician Of uncertain etymology. Name borne by a king of Sidon (fl. 549-539 BCE), known for his elaborate sarcophagus which was unearthed in 1887. A later king of Sidon also bore this name, but is more commonly known by the Hellenized variant Tennes.
TapputifBabylonian Tapputi, or Tapputi-Butt, is the earliest known chemist. She distilled and mixed perfumes and was overseer of the royal palacein Babylonian Mesopotamia ca. 1200 BCE.
Tasmetu-tabnifBabylonian, Akkadian Possibly means "Tashmetu is our comrade", deriving from the goddess Tashmetum, and the Akkadian elements tappa-um ("comrade") and ni ("our").
Yatonmilk𐤉𐤕𐤍𐤌𐤋𐤊mPhoenician Means "the king gives", deriving from the Phoenician elements 𐤉𐤕𐤍 yaton, ("to give") and 𐤌𐤋𐤊 milk ("king"). Name borne by a king of Sidon.
YidyamAncient Semitic Of uncertain etymology. Name borne by the Canaanite mayor of Ascalon, attested from several of the Amarna letters.